UK

Labour has won the Chester by-election – the first public vote since both Boris Johnson and Liz Truss were ousted from Number 10. Samantha Dixon retained the seat for her party with 17,309 votes – a 61% share and nearly 11,000 more than the Conservative candidate. Labour was expected to win but the margin was

Doctors have hailed a “new era” of medicine after a study showed for the first time that a drug can slow the debilitating symptoms of Alzheimer’s. Results from the clinical trial also revealed that the drug lecanemab cleared clumps of a protein called amyloid – thought to be a key cause of the most common

Fifty migrants who have arrived in the UK this year have been diagnosed with diphtheria, the immigration minister has revealed, with the vast majority being reported in the last two months. Robert Jenrick told MPs that the number has increased significantly since he first gave an update on 1 November. The latest UK Health Security

A scheme that will see households rewarded for not using power-intensive products at peak times could be used for the first time on Tuesday, it has been revealed. National Grid’s system operator said it may activate its Demand Flexibility Service (DFS), which is designed to avoid blackouts, on Tuesday evening to reduce strain on the

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of the murders of two boys following fatal stabbings in southeast London. The victims, named earlier as Charlie Bartolo and Kearne Solanke, were found with stab wounds in Titmuss Avenue, Thamesmead, and Sewell Road, Abbey Wood, on Saturday at around 5.10pm. Officers had attended with the London

The murders of two 16-year-old boys who were stabbed to death in London are believed to be linked, police say. They have been named as Kearne Solanke and Charlie Bartolo Police have appealed for information about the killings after the teenagers were found injured in two locations around a mile apart in Thamesmead, southeast London,

The head of the London Fire Brigade (LFB) has vowed to sack firefighters who bullied colleagues or have been racist, misogynistic or homophobic as he vowed to take a zero tolerance approach. Commissioner Andy Roe’s comments come after a damning independent report revealed the “toxic culture” in the LFB, with accounts ranging from women being

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is “institutionally misogynist and racist” with a “toxic culture that allows bullying and abuse”, an independent review has found. One black firefighter had a noose put above his locker while a female firefighter said she advised female friends not to let male firefighters in the house to check smoke alarms

Heavy rain could cause travel chaos across the weekend as it coincides with a strike by train drivers on Saturday. The Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings for southern England and southern Wales on Saturday and Sunday. Parts of Scotland are under a yellow weather warning on Saturday. It said downpours would likely cause

Two late goals by Iran in stoppage time have left Wales’ World Cup hopes hanging by a thread following a 2-0 defeat. Goals by Rouzbeh Cheshmi and Ramin Rezaeian gave Iran only their third ever World Cup victory – and Wales their first loss of this campaign. It came after Wales goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was

At this year’s Trade Union Congress (TUC), union leaders representing 5.5 million members called for “a special working group of willing unions which would organise coordinated action over pay and terms and conditions where possible with all TUC unions, including further demonstrations, national and regional rallies, and coordinated industrial action where possible”. Mick Lynch, who

Ten times more people are in hospital with flu than this time last year, latest figures show. There were an average of 344 patients a day with flu in hospital last week, compared with the 31 seen at the beginning of December last year, according to data released by NHS England. It comes amid pressures

Nicola Sturgeon has vowed to find another way “for Scottish people to express their will” after judges ruled that another independence referendum cannot be held without the backing of Westminster. After the judgment this morning, the Scottish first minister said she will continue to push for independence, declaring: “We must and we will find another

The Scottish Parliament does not have the power to call a second independence referendum in the country, the Supreme Court has said. The unanimous ruling from the UK’s top judges said, despite demands from the SNP for a fresh vote, the country’s government would need approval from the government in Westminster before going ahead. First

Manchester United Football Club could finally be sold by its American owners after a 17-year reign dominated by fan protests and declining on-pitch performance. Sky News can exclusively reveal that the Glazer family is preparing to formally announce its intention to examine potential sources of outside investment that could include a full-blown auction of arguably

The UK economy is to suffer the biggest hit of all the G7 nations next year, a report has forecast. The economy is to contract more than any of the other six countries that form the group of the world’s largest industrialised democracies, according to forecasts from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Wales came from behind to draw 1-1 with the USA in their first World Cup finals since 1958. The USA completely dominated the first half and took the lead in 36 minutes when Timothy Weah, son of footballing icon George Weah, scored from Christian Pulisic’s through-ball. After Wales had been overwhelmed in the first half,

England and Wales have said their captains will not wear OneLove armbands at the World Cup in Qatar because they could face an instant yellow card for doing so. England’s Harry Kane and Wales’ Gareth Bale were among players from a number of national teams that were due to wear the armbands as a gesture

A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a baby and toddler died in a flat fire in Nottingham. The emergency services were called to reports of a fire in the Clifton area of the city at 3.17am today. A woman, thought to be in her 30s, and two children were treated at

The former children’s commissioner for England has warned of families across the country facing “awful conditions” in their social housing, following the death of Awaab Ishak. The two-year-old died in December 2020 from a respiratory condition caused by mould in his home, managed by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH). There has been an outpouring of emotion